Real Mad Man George Lois designs ShortList front

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This week’s edition of ShortList has been designed by advertising legend George Lois.

Lois made his name in the 1960s with his groundbreaking covers for Esquire magazine, including Sonny Liston dressed as Santa Claus, Muhammad Ali shot through with arrows like Saint Sebastian and Andy Warhol drowning in a can of Campbell’s Soup.

He is also cited as one of the inspirations behind Mad Men’s Don Draper.

With his new book – ‘Damn Good Advice (For People With Talent!)’– out soon, ShortList asked Lois to turn back the clock and design a cover for the magazine.

Editor Martin Robinson said: ‘We were thrilled when he agreed, and the result is an unforgettable shot of Lois himself in a gas mask illustrating a famous phrase he used on a US TV chat show in the 80’s: ‘Advertising should be poison gas! It should bring tears to your eyes, unhinge your nervous system and knock you out!’

Lois said: “Working with ShortList reminded me of my unique relationship with the great Esquire editor Harold Hayes, when I created his covers way back in the 1960s.

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‘Get the idea, and bada-bing-bada-boom! Fresh, memorable, exciting. No group grope. No analysis paralysis. That’s the epitome of the creative process.”

Robinson added: ‘George is a legend in the magazine and advertising worlds, and a no-nonsense Bronx guy who we think our readers will love to discover.

‘Both in his work, and as a human being, he’s an inspiration. To have a ShortList cover designed by George Lois is an honour.’